


The Thief who stole her heart (After the curse Book 1)

by Oncer993



Series: After the curse [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: #swanfire, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-25 08:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6187357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oncer993/pseuds/Oncer993
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal & Emma never had the chance to find Tallahassee. Eleven years passed by and they find themselves face to face with each other. Will they get the chance to explore what was lost or will they again part ways? </p><p>*These are characters from the hit show "Once upon a time". I do not claim to have created them or the central storyline. This is merely a fan writing what she wished had happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, so I already have this story up on another site, but wanted to share it here as well. It's a short story and it follows season 2 of Once upon a time loosely. I do add my own spin on it though. I hope you all enjoy :D

**A/N: As a bit of a refresher, Gold brought magic to Storybrooke and crossed the town line to search for Baelfire. He brought Emma along since she owed him a favor and finding people is her thing. Henry came along too. You can re-watch 2x6 "Tallahassee" and previous episodes, or read summaries up to that point.**

 

"Neal?!" Emma exclaims as she begins to lifts herself up after their collision. Her heart beat increases and it's not just because she was chasing him down. Memories of their time spent together began flooding her mind. She pictured this moment thousands of times; however she never thought the day would come. The only thing she could do was say his name.

"Emma?" He asks as he casts a look of confusion towards her. He, too, is beginning to pick himself up.

"What are you doing here?" He asks. He is successful in making his way to his feet and walks over to her. He does so cautiously and reaches his hand out to help her up. She shakes her head and stands up by herself. She begins to brush the dirt off her clothing as the memories keep taking over her brain. She couldn't believe it, after all these years, eleven to be exact, that she was face to face with the man who broke her heart.

"I could ask you the same thing." She spits out angrily. "Is this some sick joke, did Gold put you up to this?!" She accuses, unable to hold back any longer. She approaches him and shoves his chest. He stumbles back slightly, clearly taking by surprise.

"Emma..." He sputters and glances around. "Could we at least get out of the street?" He asks softly. His heart beat, too, is going a 1000 miles per second, but he's fighting to keep his cool. He dreamt of this day, but never thought it would come.

The day that he could set his eyes on the girl who had been the love of his life, apologize for abandoning her and grovel at her feet if necessary. He'd do whatever it takes to get her to hear him out and understand his hand in the matter. He needed her to understand.

Emma shook her head again, causing her blonde locks to shake around her.

"No!" She said firmly. "Did you know your father set this up? Tell me!" She demanded.

_Father?_ He thought. He froze for a moment at the sound of the word. Was it true, could his father, the Dark one, be here? He looked around them nervously before opening his mouth to speak.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you'd just come with me-

"Come with you?" Emma repeated. She unleashed a bitter laugh, one that Neal had never heard. She wasn't the same person he knew all those years ago. Life had turned her; his betrayal had killed what was left of her spirit. Guilt continued to wash over him, but he wasn't going to give up.

"Emma please. I will explain everything if you just let me." He begged. He held his hands up in surrender, hoping it would calm her down.

"This is all one big game. You're sick, the both of you." She said. Again, she was referring to his father.

"I promise you I have not spoken to my father in who knows how long. So if you think me and him are running some kind of game on you, you're wrong. Now please, will you hear me out?" He asked again. He tried his best to sound sincere and hoped it was working.

Emma grew silent, her nostrils still flared out of anger, but she didn't speak a word. She just looked him up and down.

"I can't." She said at last. "I have to take you to him." She informed him. She sounded defeated and Neal wished he could read her mind. It broke his heart to see her look that way; it shattered him to know it was his entire fault.

"Just tell him you lost me. He won't know otherwise." He suggested. "I need to talk to you, Emma. I need you to hear me out." He finished.

Emma looked as if she was thinking it over, which got Neal's hopes up.

"I can't. I'm a woman of my word." She said firmly. Her face softened a bit though and her voice was no longer laced with anger.

"I have spent so long avoiding that man, Emma. I...I can't see him, not after what he's done. But you deserve the truth, closure. Let me give it to you." He said.

Emma allowed his words to sink in. She hadn't known Gold long, but she knew people feared him. Hell, practically everyone did in Storybrooke when she arrived last year. She could only imagine what awful things must have happened between Neal and him for him to be so against being reunited with him. A pang of sadness welled up in her body for him, and if she hadn't hated his guts, she would have hugged him. But no, the only thing she wanted to wrap around Neal was her hands around his neck. Still he offered her something she longed for, closure.

"Okay, lead the way." She said simply.

"Thank you." Neal said and turned around, heading somewhere down the street. Emma took a deep breath and followed him.

He hailed a taxi and they slide into the backseat. Emma averted her attention out the window and tried to get her heart beat back to normal. Anger was no longer taking a hold over her, but she was anxious. She could hardly believe what was about to happen; she was finally going to get some answers.

Neal sat beside her with as much distance as possible in the backseat of a cab. He wanted to give her space and she didn't seem like she would argue otherwise. He let out a breath that came out as a loud, nervous huff as they continued the short ride to a nearby bar.

It wasn't the best option, but he could use a lot of liquid courage for the conversation ahead of them. He dared to steal a glance in Emma's direction and he found her staring out of the window. In between her scarf and the strands of her hair, he could make out the hint of a necklace. A necklace he had given her with a swan in the middle. He smiled to himself at the fact that she still wore it.

The cabbie slowed to a stop and looked back with an open hand.

"$8 bucks" He said matter of factly. Neal placed a crisp five dollar bill and three crumbled one dollar bills into the palm of the man's hand. He nodded his head and waited for them to exit. Emma got out first and Neal followed shortly after.

He cleared his throat and went to open the door for her.

"Ladies first" He joked, hoping to lighten the mood. Emma cast him a warning look, one that told him not to get too ahead of himself, and proceeded inside. Thankfully the place was mostly deserted. Neal ordered a beer and led them to a booth in the back, away from the prying ears of the few patrons.

He took a long gulp before opening his mouth to speak.

"Emma I never meant to set you up." He said. Why beat around the bush instead of jumping straight in? Emma rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, it just happened, right?" She mocked.

"Actually, something like that" He paused to look around to make sure no one was walking by or looking in their direction. "I met this guy, Booth? I forget his first name. Anyways he was telling me that I was dragging you down and all this bullshit. I told him to screw himself and was trying to continue with our plan, but he wouldn't let up. He said he knew you, was supposed to protect you, yada yada yada...I thought he was full of it." Neal started explaining.

"August?" Emma interrupted. "His name is August." She was slowly processing the information. Neal knew August...

"That's the one. I was ready to keep walking until he told me he had something to show me. Now, my guards were up you know? I didn't know what he might try to pull, but I went along. He had this chest on the back of his motorcycle and he opened it. I was lost, completely confused but I looked down anyways...it was...it said my real name, Baelfire. I couldn't believe it because I hadn't been called it in forever. I hadn't had to deal with that part of my life, my past, for God knows how long now but there it was, written in ink, smacking me in my face." Neal finished and took another drink.

Emma watched him down most of his beer and noticed the haunted look on his face. But it didn't mean much to her.

"I don't get what this has to do with us." She stated with furrowed brows. Neal let out a loud sigh before responding.

"He also started talking about magic and your destiny. He said that I was standing in your way and that you had to come to Storybrooke and break some curse to free your family. That final act was what made me believe him. It's how I knew that I had to let you go." He said dejectedly.

Silence fell over the two. Emma didn't know how to take what he said. It was noble, what he did, but did he even try to fight for her, for them? Why had he given up so easily? She wondered. Neal felt the guilt return, the same guilt that haunted him for the past eleven years. It was a constant reminder of the biggest mistake of his life.

He slid his empty glass out of the way and placed his hands flat on the table and lightly tapped his fingertips on the wood.

"He said once the curse was broken you'd have your family back. I knew that you've always wanted that; a family. I couldn't stand in the way of that, Emma." He told her. He looked over to her and waited for her to speak.

Emma just couldn't accept his words. She had waited all this time and they weren't enough. They didn't ease the feelings of betrayal and heart break knowing that she took the fall for him, had his child and he went on living as a free man.

"I went to jail for you." Emma spoke slowly.

"Emma I know and I hate myself for it." He touched his chest as he spoke. "I know you hate me too, but August said you wouldn't be there long and that the place wasn't that bad." He explained.

"I agreed to take those watches because I loved you and you, you betrayed me!" Emma yelled. Neal motioned for her to keep her voice down, but she ignored it.

"I loved you too Emma and it wasn't easy for me. I left you the car and the money...I didn't want any of that if I couldn't have you." Neal went on.

"All the cars and money in the world can't make up for what you did. It can't erase all of----" She stopped herself. She didn't want to tell him how much she missed him and how badly he hurt her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"I have to go." She announced and began to stand.

"You just got here." Neal said following her. Emma stepped back to distance herself.

"I have to get back to Gold." She said.

"Gold? That's what he's calling himself now?" Neal asked and shook his head.

"I guess Aliases run in your family." She spat at him.

"We're nothing alike." Neal said. He could take her being angry at him; she had every right to be. He could not take being compared to his father. The man who chose power and magic over family, over him.

"Yeah well I don't care. Neal, I don't care about what happened between you and him, or you at all." She said coldly. The words were from the anger deep inside her, but she didn't truly mean what she said.

"If you don't care about me then why do you still have the necklace I gave you?" He asked and pointed to it. As if it was out of her control, Emma's hand went towards the Swan necklace around her neck. She didn't even notice she had it on since she always wore it. It was like it was a part of her skin now.

"I...I don't care about this either." She said softly and reached to take it off. She didn't want to, but she couldn't take him thinking she cared. Even though she did. She threw it at him and left the bar. Neal managed to catch it before it could hit the ground. He stood there, watching her walk off with the necklace grasped between his fingers.

He knew she still cared, maybe even loved him. But he wouldn't push her. He'd give her some time to let it all sink in.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and just reading my story; I appreciate it very much! I want to explain that the numbering of chapters may appear to be off. This one is "chapter 2", but I listed it as chapter one. I did this because I don't consider the prologue as chapter one, but when I totaled the chapters up, I obviously counted it. So, technically, it is "chapter one". Confusing, sorry I know, and I could change it, but I'd rather leave it as is. Hopefully this explanation helps though!

 

  **Emma's POV**

I walked back to Neal's apartment building. It was only a short distance and I could use the time to think of what to say to Gold. I didn't quiver and shake like most people did around him, but still I had to lie to him, or did I? Why should I keep Neal's secret? Why should I protect him? I knew from experience that he wouldn't do the same for me.

The past couple of minutes replayed in my mind. He left me, pregnant, alone and only 18 years old in jail. It should have been him in that cell, not me. I should have been free, living my life, but no I was in jail because I fell in love with the wrong man.

Part of me, some stupid little naive part of me, wanted to believe him. It wanted to accept his apology and his excuses. I couldn't though, even if all of me wanted to. It wouldn't change the past. It wouldn't make me love him again. It would just be useless.

I reached the apartment sooner than I would have liked, but proceeded inside. I needed to see Henry again anyways.

Henry. _How would he be affected by all of this?_ I thought to myself. As I opened the door, I spotted them still inside the lobby.

"Gold." I said firmly.

"Ms. Swan, where is he?" He asked as he noticed that I was alone.

"I lost him. He was too fast for me." I lied. Mr. Gold eyed me for a moment before turning in the opposite direction. Henry walked over to me and I patted his back comfortingly.

"Where are you going?" I called after the man. Mr. Gold said nothing. He just kept walking. I looked down at Henry and nodded my head in Mr. Gold's direction. We were going to follow him. I guess I felt responsible somehow.

"Wait up," I said as I headed upstairs after him. As we reached Neal's floor, I could see Gold breaking into Neal's apartment.

"Are you crazy?!" I yelled in a hushed tone. "This is the real world, you can go to jail for things like this." I told him as I looked around to make sure no one else was around. I also checked for cameras, but I didn't see one. Henry watched on curiously.

"He lives here and maybe something inside will tell us where he went." Mr. Gold said after he somehow managed to open the door. I reluctantly followed him inside and so did Henry.

"Henry, uh, why don't you wait in the bathroom?" I told him. He protested for a minute, but obeyed my request.

"Listen Gold, we need to get going. He's not coming back anytime soon." I explained to him.

"And just how do you know that Ms. Swan?" Mr. Gold asked.

"I don't, but I mean...I'm sure he's not coming back. He ran for God sake." I told him. I hoped that my poker face was working and he didn't see through the cracks in my lie.

"You know something." He accused as he pointed a finger at me.

"Gold, what are you talking about?" I asked evasively. _Play it cool, Emma, play it cool_ I told myself.

"You know something; you know where he is, don't you?" Mr. Gold said as he inched closer to me. _He won't do anything_ I thought. He's powerless here.

"Listen Gold---" I began, but shut up once the door was thrown open.

"Neal?!" I asked as I watched him enter the room.

"Get away from her!" Neal yelled at Gold. Cover story blown, mission failed.

"You know each other?" Mr. Gold questioned. God, this man and his accusations. It didn't help that he was right either.

"You sent her to chase me down, didn't you? Of course we exchanged names. I just came back so you didn't hurt her." Neal said smoothly. I eyed both of them and waited for one of them to speak again like I was waiting on someone to make their move in a game of chess.

"Bae," Mr. Gold said affectionately. I had only seen him speak like that to one other person, Belle, his girlfriend.

"It's Neal here." Neal informed him. "Look you have me. I'm right here. Let Emma go." He demanded. I appreciated his heroism, but I didn't need saving, especially not by him. Just then, as if things couldn't get any more awkward, Henry walked in.

"Is this your son?" Henry asks Mr. Gold and looked at Neal.

_Oh no_ I thought and walked over to him.

"Henry go back to the bathroom, adults are talking." I told him and began guiding him away. I hated to sound so condescending towards him, but it was for his own good.

"Henry?" Neal repeated his name. _Let it go, Neal!_ I yelled inside my head.

"Is he...is he your kid?" Neal questioned.

Mr. Gold turned around, facing Henry and I and nodded his head.

"What's it to you?" He asked Neal. Neal ignored him; his eyes were still locked in on us, more so Henry than me.

"Is he? How old are you, Henry?" He asked the both of us.

"Yes." I answered quietly. "Henry, please go." I told my son.

"What's going on?" Henry asked, looking back and forth between Neal and me.

"How old are you?" Neal repeated.

"Eleven, why? Mom what is going on?" Henry asked with more urgency in his voice.

"Elev---, Emma. Emma is he...do we---" Neal started.

"No!" I yelled.

"Emma?" Henry called my name.

"Kid, the bathroom now." I said firmly. Someone needed to take control here and it was going to be me.

"Emma, is that my son?!" Neal yelled and began walking closer to us. I tried to push Henry behind me, but he wouldn't budge.

"My dad is dead. He was a fireman." Henry stated. He was actually repeating the lie I had told him. Neal was his father and he wasn't dead.

"He is my son, isn't he?" Neal asked me, ignoring Henry's response. I blinked and looked away from Neal's gaze. Instead I looked at Henry. My Henry, my son. _Our_ son.

"Yes," I admitted softly. Henry's eyes grew wide and he ran out onto the balcony. I took off after him, leaving Neal and his father alone.

I didn't know if Neal stayed and talked with Gold, my concern was Henry.

"Kid..." I began as I joined him outside. He was ignoring me and looking out at the city around us.

"Henry," I called to him softly. He must hate me; _I hate myself for lying to him_ I thought.

"You're just like her; you both do nothing but lie to me." Henry said bitterly, referring to both Regina and me.

"That's not true Henry; I did it to protect you." I explained to him.

"That's what she says, too." Henry replies flatly. I tried to reach for him, but he moved away. I stood there, not really sure what else to say or do. I'm the adult, the parent, but I felt completely helpless.

"I never meant to hurt you Henry. You have to believe that." I tried once more to get through to him. He was consistent with his silent treatment, so I stopped trying.

"Hey..." I hear a familiar voice behind me. I turned around to see Neal joining us. Suddenly the small space felt even tinier.

Henry turned around and looked at Neal, but didn't say anything. He didn't even look in my direction.

"Can I talk to him?" Neal asked. I nodded my head and moved out of his way.

"We're leaving in the morning." I said just before I went back inside. I'm sure Henry won't be happy, but he had to get back home. Gold could come back with us or stay, I didn't care. I had upheld my end of the bargain and then some if you asked me.

                                                                                           **Neal's POV**

I sighed as I shoved my hands in my pocket and made my way over to my son. _Son_ , wow, I never thought I would say that.

"I'm Neal." I told him and looked down at him.

"I'm Henry." He replied. He's pissed. I could tell. I had the same look on my face a million times to know exactly how he felt. Being lied to by your parent over and over again, I completely understood.

"Uh, sorry we had to meet like this. If I had known about you, I would have...come around." I said not really sure what to say. Honestly, would I? August never mentioned anything about Emma being pregnant when I saw him last. Not even in the post card. There was no "P.S. You have a kid!", surely I would have remembered that.

If I knew she was pregnant, would I have still stayed away or would I have owned up to my crap and worked my way back into her life, my family's life? I don't know. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have been a deadbeat dad; I wouldn't be a selfish coward like my Father, but now I was no different than him. My kid had to grow up without me for eleven years. How could I ever make up for that?

"It's okay." He said softly. "I'm glad you're not dead." He says with a hint of humor in his voice. I let out a genuine laugh and feel some of the awkwardness leave the air between us.

"Yeah, me too." I say. We make small talk. He tells me briefly about Storybrooke, his step mom and how he found Emma. The kid was brave and determined. I'd like to think he inherited those traits from both Emma and I.

I couldn't tell you how long we talked, but we were interrupted by a very panicky Emma.

"Emma, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"Is that blood?" I asked as I looked down at her slightly stained jeans.

"Henry." She said as he went over to her. I watched as she wrapped him in her arms.

"We have to go, now." She said and looked at me.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." I demanded as I followed them back inside. She remained silent, only walking out of my apartment and I stopped only to lock the door behind us.

I followed her down the stairs and hear gasping before I'm met with the sight of my Father covered in blood and leaning against the wall.

"Papa!" I called out to him and rush by his side.

"What the hell happened?!" I demanded.

"It was Hook...I don't know how he got here, but he must have been watching us. He stabbed him. We have to leave, now. It's not safe here." Emma answered in a rush. I could tell that she is scared and she doesn't scare easily.

"I'm going to call 911." I said and reached for my phone, but my Father's words stopped me.

"No human doctor can help me. I need magic. I need to get..., _he pauses to catch his breath_ , get me back to Storybrooke." He said shakily. I looked over to Emma, who is looking down at Henry.

"Emma," I called out to her.

"What?" She replied.

"Don't you have magic, can't you...I don't know wish us back there?" I asked.

"No, and even if I wanted to there is no magic here in New York." She informed me. Damn it. My father wasn't my favorite person in the world, but he was still my father. And I loved him. I couldn't sit back and watch him die, I refused to.

"Hook you said," I stated as I began to process everything. "He must have taken his ship, it's no way he flew here." I finished my thoughts out loud.

"That's crazy," Emma shook her head.

"It's true." My father affirmed softly.

"He can cross realms with it. We have to get to it before he does." I announced.

Emma looked at me as if I had just grown two heads.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Henry surprised us.

And after that, we were on our way to Storybrooke. Don't ask me how we found the ship, but we did. I navigated it back to Storybrooke, with Henry by my side. Emma spent most of her time pacing back and forth below us.


	3. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry if you're reading this and you see the chapters were changed. I accidentally skipped chapter 2 and had to go back and add it in! Sorry again :)

** **

 

**Neal's POV**

I got us there just like I said I would. It was awkward though to say the least. I had no idea who any of these people were and it didn't help that the introductions were rushed. Everyone's main concern was saving my Father's life. I just stood there, trying not to get in the way.

**Emma's POV**

So I had to save Gold, seriously. I had to save Gold. I saved the town, but apparently that wasn't enough. Apparently the savior still had saving to do. We managed to get back to Storybrooke and bring Gold back to his home.

He needed magic in order to live, but was too weak to heal himself. With Regina not willing to help, I was the only option. Time also wasn't on our side considering she was on the hunt for his dagger. My parents, Mary Margaret and David were out looking for it too. So that left me, Henry, Neal and a dying Mr. Gold. Fearing for the worst, Gold pointed me to a spell book he had. It had a spell for everything, seriously, everything! I just had to gather up the ingredients and enact it. Piece of cake right?

"Here," Henry said as he passed me the last item needed for the spell.

"Thanks Kid," I said and tried to give him a brave, confident smile. It was the complete opposite of how I felt though. I was scared and had zero confidence in myself. And if this went bottom's up, I would personally be responsible for Henry losing one of his Grandfathers and Neal losing his dad. But, no pressure right?

"You can do this mom." Henry said reassuringly.

"Thanks." I said and smiled genuinely at him this time. I could always count on him to believe in me, even when I didn't believe in myself.

"Is there anything I can do?" Neal asked softly. He had been silent while Henry and I gathered everything. The anger that I felt earlier had simmered down and was replaced with sadness for him. I knew that they hadn't had the best relationship, but they were still family. I couldn't imagine losing my parents and how I'd move on afterwards, even if we did just recently find one another.

"No, everything is all set." I replied. "He's going to make it; he's too tough not to." I said with a small smile.

"That he is," Were Neal's only words.

It was now or never. Henry and I brought the materials back to Gold's room and I glanced over the spell, trying to get the words right and calm my nerves.

"You can do this, Emma." Henry said as he stood beside me. I nodded my head at him. Gold laid on his bed, his eyes struggling to stay open. Neal stood beside him, holding onto his hand. They didn't speak, but I could sense that act alone was comforting enough for Gold.

I arranged the items according to the spell and stood in front of Gold. With a deep breath, I began to recite the spell and could feel the magic filling my body. It was a rush, sort of like a high and I hoped that meant I wasn't screwing things up.

I closed my eyes as I continued to speak and mentally crossed my fingers, hoping that this was working. I spoke the last word and heard Gold gasp.

His skin didn't look as pale as before and the gaping stab wound was closing. _It worked, I did it! I saved Gold_ I thought to myself. However, his eyes still looked weak. I guess he wasn't completely out of the woods yet.

"Gold?" I called out to him.

"Yes, it worked." He informed me. I could hear Neal let out a breath of relief and Henry was smiling.

"So what's wrong?" I asked.

"I need to rest, and you all need to find my dagger. You can't let Regina get it. I'm still too weak...any attack at this point and the spell won't be able to save me again." He instructed us hoarsely.  

"Just rest, Papa. We'll find it." Neal told him. Gold looked up at him; the doubt from his face was washing away.

"Bae..." He said with a small smile. Neal nodded and again told him to rest. He reluctantly gave in to his tired body and fell asleep. We all left the room.

"Henry, we need to get you somewhere safe. I'll call Ruby." I told him. He started to protest, but I waved it off. Who knows if Regina had the dagger already? If she did I knew exactly what she would do with Gold's power and I couldn't risk Henry being in the crossfires.

"He can stay with me." Neal spoke up.

"You have to stay with Gold, and even that isn't safe." I told him as I waited for Ruby to pick up. She did and was on her way to get Henry.

"I can protect him." Neal said firmly when I hung up.

"Neal, this isn't about you. I don't have time to fully explain." I told him. One crisis was down, but this was far from over.

"I know what'll happen if Regina gets the dagger. She'll kill my Father, but I won't let that happen. I can protect him and Henry." Neal spoke. I let out a sad sigh. I knew he truly believed that, but he had no idea what type of person Regina was. He was no match for her.

"Neal I know you mean well, but she's dangerous. Henry will be safe with Ruby. My parents and I will find a way to stop Regina when, if, it comes down to it." I tried to reassure him.

"And I'm just supposed to sit here? He's my father, Emma!" Neal argued. There was no use in going back and forth with him. Henry was going with Ruby whether he liked it or not, it was for his best interest and that was the most important thing to me.

I heard the door open and thought it was Ruby. I was wrong. It was David and Mary Margaret and they didn't have the dagger with them. They informed us that Regina had got to it first. Even worse was Cora was in town. Shit was definitely about to hit the fan, and I had no idea how we were going to stop it.

 

 


	4. 3.1

I kind of went back and forth between tenses when I wrote this. I'm sorry if it's annoying. I did correct the last update before posting and so I will do the same to this one {just included this in case I forget to change some things later on xo}. I do briefly go over them before I copy and paste it from the other site. Also, this is where I sort of add my spin on things. I follow what happens in the show fairly close through out the whole story though. I am working on the sequel and my own thoughts are expressed more so in that one. I also completely skip Neverland :) Enough about that...you'll find out (hopefully )when you read it!

***Includes a few swear words, but not too much***

**Neal's POV**

So if anyone ever told me that I'd wind up in the real world in a small town that no one knows exists filled with Fairytale characters, I'd ask them what they were smoking and possibly want to try it. I'm only half kidding. I never expected to be here and I sure as hell didn't expect to ever be around my father again. Yet here I was, smack dab in the middle of this "magical place" called Storybrooke.

I have been here a total of three days now. In that time period I have watched my father nearly die and my ex-girlfriend/mother-of-the-son-I-never-knew-about-until-three-days-ago wield magic that I never knew she had. Yup, things got pretty crazy in this place, but I think I'm going to stick around for a bit.

Why not? I had a lot of time to make up for not being in my son's life and things still weren't settled between Emma and me.

I made my way to Granny's, which seemed to be the only place to eat around here.

"Hey Henry," I called out to my son who was sitting at the counter. He was having hot chocolate with cinnamon. The word son felt awkward as it escaped my mouth, but I guess it would feel more natural over time.

He turned in my direction and waved me over. I slipped my hands in my front pockets as I walked over to him.

"So this is Emma's idea of breakfast for you huh?" I joked.

"Actually she doesn't know, neither does Regina." He answered with a sly grin.

"Ah," I replied knowingly. Emma probably had her hands full with trying to keep Regina from going ape shit on Snow. But then, who was really keeping an eye on Henry? The kid can't watch himself.

"Where is she, Emma I mean?" I asked him. I knew she was probably busy, but that didn't mean that I didn't want to talk to her or see her.

Henry swirled the cinnamon sprinkles around with his spoon before taking a sip.

"At home I guess. They are trying to figure out what to do about, you know..." He answered. Poor kid. He shouldn't be stuck between all this madness.

"Look, Henry I know we don't know each other, but I'm your dad and I'm here for you, okay?" I told him. God, it still felt so weird to say that.

Henry nodded his head and continued to drink his hot chocolate. I hailed a waitress down and ordered some waffles and bacon. Hey, it was still morning somewhere in the world, right?

Seven minutes or so later and a beautiful plate of food was placed in front of me. A stack of warm, fluffy waffles with three thick slices of bacon. Just as I was about to take a bite, I heard the door chime and open behind me. I obviously turned around and in walked Emma.

She looked relieved when she saw us, well more so Henry than me.

"Kid, I've been looking everywhere for you." She said as she pulled off her gloves. She asked Ruby to get her "the usual" and I wondered what that was.

"Hi Emma," I greeted her.

"Hi Neal," She returned as she took a seat next to Henry.

"So, uh, how are things?" I asked unsure of how to make small talk with her.

She sighed before looking over at me.

"Hey Kid, mind giving us a minute?" She directed to Henry. He grabbed his mug and made his way to a booth towards the back of the diner. After Emma made sure that he was seated and Ruby was a safe distance away, she looked back at me.

"We took care of things. Well, Mary Margaret took care of things." She said. I noticed that she didn't outright call her mom and did the same thing with her Father, but I guess she wasn't used to it yet. I decided not to mention it.

"That's good, so Regina and Cora are gone?" I inquired.

"Cora, yes. We never wanted to get rid of Regina exactly. We just didn't want her to kill us all and take Henry." Emma stated matter-of-factly. It was like talking about her and her family's possible deaths didn't bother her at all. But I knew her; I knew that something was wrong.

"Then what's wrong?" I asked as I placed my fork down.

"Nothing. Who said anything was wrong?" She asked defensively.

"Well for starters your change of tone. Sighing and sending Henry away, and just your whole facial expression. I know you Emma. I know when something is the matter with you." I answered with a smirk. However, the look on her face told me that she wasn't impressed.

"You don't know me. The girl you knew all those years ago isn't the woman sitting in front of you now." She spat out. And just like that, she was pissed at me again.

"Look Emma, I didn't mean to upset you." I said honestly. She sighed and nodded her head.

"I know." She said in a hushed tone. "I just---,so much is going on. Mary Margaret is just a shell of herself. She's walking around numb after getting rid of Cora." Emma began to explain. I raised an eyebrow in confusion and she continued.

"She had to get rid of her, for good." Emma replied with emphasis on "getting rid of Cora". She then explained to me how she, Mary Margaret, traded my father's life for Cora's using a candle. He hadn't been in the clear after Emma's spell. If he had time to rest, he would have been, but with Cora and Regina possessing his dagger and trying to get rid of him that was impossible. Cora managed to get close enough to injure him again, but Snow managed to stop Cora from finishing him off by using the candle. They traded places so to speak, so Cora bled out and died almost instantly, while my father managed to live.  Apparently it really screwed Snow up on the inside. Which isn't that unbelievable, I mean who would think of Snow White, of all people, as a murderer?

"Well she did the right thing," I told Emma "and I'm grateful, she saved his life."

"I know, but she doesn't see it that way; she can't seem too." Emma said with a frustrated look upon her face.

"I mean am I being unreasonable for wanting her to act, I don't know, normal?" She ranted. I shook my head.

"Emma---" I began and started to reach out for her, but my phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I excused myself and headed outside to answer it.

To my surprise, it was Tamara. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised though; she is my fiancée after all.

"Tamara?" I answered.

"Well, it's good to hear from you too." She said sarcastically.

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting your call." I replied. _Shit, that didn't come out right either_.

"Oh? Just who were you expecting?" She asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"No one. I...I'm visiting my Father. I should have told you, but it wasn't exactly planned and it's just a really long story." I half-explained to her.

"Is he okay?" She asked, the sassiness was replaced with concern now.

"Why do you ask?" I wondered.

"I know you guys have a rough relationship. You don't talk much about him, but it must be something serious if you're visiting him."

"You don't miss anything do you?" I joked.

"He's okay, but he wasn't when I got here. I don't want to get into it, but he is fine." I reassured her.

"Do you want me to come down there? I hate that you're going through this alone." _No_ is my initial thought. But I can't stay here forever. And just what was I doing here? Henry was one reason, my father the other. I'd be lying if I said Emma wasn't on the list too, though. How did my life get so confusing in a matter of days?

"Tamara I'm not alone, I have my family."

"That will soon be my family, too. I'll book my flight right now." She insisted. God she was persistent when she wanted to be.

I gave in and gave her the address to Granny's Bed and Breakfast. I didn't want her showing up on my Father's doorstep. I hung up and went back inside to face the music. How in the hell was I supposed to tell Emma that I was engaged? I was still working on her forgiveness and this would surely push it back. And how would Henry react to having another step mom? The biggest question was: why didn't I want Tamara here? She should meet my father and son. In my heart, though, I knew why. Everything had changed the moment Emma came back into my life.

"Emma, I got something I need to tell you." I informed her once I had reclaimed my seat. She looked at me with confusion but motioned for me to speak. I sighed as reality sat in. Things were getting real, _too_ real.


	5. 3.2

** **

**Emma's POV**

When Neal said that he had something to tell me, I began internally freaking out. It could literally be just about anything and that scared me. I'm not sure why though. I mean it was _Neal_ ; the guy who broke my heart, the guy who was responsible for me going to jail, the douche bag who ruined my life, etc.

Why should whatever he had to say matter? Why should I care? But it did matter and I cared. He hadn't been here long, but somehow I got used to his presence again. I was no longer as mad at him as I was before nor did I hate his guts. I wasn't completely over what he did, yet I liked having him here. I tried to tell myself that it was because of Henry, but I knew that wasn't completely true.

I was unable to speak for the fear that my emotions would pour out and give me away, so I motioned for him to get whatever it was off his chest non verbally. I waited for him to speak as he took the empty stool next to me.

**Neal's POV**

I wanted to tell Emma the truth. I really did, but I couldn't. I was worried that it would ruin whatever chance I had at earning her forgiveness and possibly affect my budding relationship with Henry. Call me selfish, but I wasn't ready to risk it. Not yet.

"I was thinking that I should spend more time with Henry. You know, get to know him. I don't know how long I'll be here, but I want to develop some type of relationship with him," _-and you_ I added silently in my head.

"I think he'll like that, but you can't just walk out on him. Don't start something and not finish it." She warned. I swear I could almost see the pain in her eyes as she spoke and I knew the words weren't just about Henry. She was talking about herself too.

"I'd never do that; I'd never hurt Henry." I promised.

"I'll see to that and so will Regina. We don't agree on much, or anything really, but we care about Henry and keeping him safe."

"So do I," I assured her.

Silence fell over us. For a moment, I was lost in the past, thinking of the life we once had and were planning. I truly did want to be with her forever, have a family and settle down. It just didn't work out that way and I was to blame. Maybe this was my shot though; my second chance. There was one small problem however, Tamara. I couldn't just break her heart.

"I need to make some phone calls and let my boss know I'll be taking some more time off." I lied. Emma nodded her head and sipped on her hot chocolate, which was probably cold by now. I nodded goodbye to Henry and he waved back at me as he rejoined Emma at the counter.

**Emma's POV**

The conversation with Neal gave me more hope than it should have. I was more excited than I should have been.

 _It's good for Henry; he needs his Father around_ I tried to convince myself. Maybe if I said it enough, then I'd actually believe my own lies.

"Hey Kid,"

"So was that adult stuff?" He asked. I smiled as I looked down at him.

"Yeah it was. How about we head home and check on Mary Margaret?" I suggested. I didn't want to get into the conversation I just had with Neal, and I really did need to check on her.

"Okay"

I paid for our drinks and Neal's breakfast too, how convenient of him to have "forgotten".

**Neal's POV**

I walked back to Granny's bed and breakfast and headed upstairs to my room. Once I was inside, I called Tamara. She answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey, I was just about to call you." She said and I let out a small chuckle.

"Beat ya to it I guess"

"What's up?" She asked. I guess it was no point in beating around the bush, but I had to be delicate about this too.

"I wanted to ask if you booked your flight yet" I began.

"No, actually that's why I was going to call. I can't take off in time and there are no available flights for this week."  I felt relief wash over me. Maybe I didn't have to break up with her yet.

"But I can take off next week." she said cheerfully. "Just give me the o.k. and I'll book my flight for next Thursday right now."

 _No that is not what I want_ I thought to myself.

"Tamara, I won't be here long, maybe you should wait until I come home?" I suggested.

"Well how long will you be there exactly?"

"I don't know" I replied honestly. Maybe I'd just stay here and never go back to New York. My family was here now after all.

"You don't want me to come?" She assumed. I could detect a hint of sadness in her voice and it killed me. I cared about Tamara, I really did. I proposed to her after all, but that was before being reunited with Emma, before those old feelings resurfaced. I couldn't walk down the aisle with her knowing that I still loved Emma. And I would be lying if I said I didn't have my doubts. There had been plenty of moments where I wondered if she truly was the one or if I was settling; settling because I thought I could never have who I truly wanted. Had I proposed too soon? My head was a bundle of confusion at that moment.

"It's not that" I said evasively.

"Then what is it?" She asked without skipping a beat. I wasn't sure what to say next. Did I really want to call off the engagement over the phone, am I really that type of guy? No, I wasn't.

"Neal?" She called out my name.

"Just give me some time, okay?" I begged.

"What do you mean, time for what? Neal, I'm confused..." _So am I_ thought to myself.

"I just need time" I repeated. I couldn't do it, I couldn't break up with her over the phone. I needed to go back to New York and do it. That would be the right way to do it.

"Neal, I need you to tell me what's going on." Tamara demanded. She sounded frustrated now and she had every right to be.

"I can't plan a wedding right now. There is a lot going on and maybe it's not the right time." _Would she take a hint, would she just drop it?_ I wondered. I know it was crazy of me to think she'd forget about the wedding instantly and be okay with parting ways. I'm not even okay with it myself, but I just had to see how things might go with Emma. I owed it to Henry, to myself and Emma. I was seriously regretting not looking for her sooner now, but at the time I thought I was making the best decision.

Tamara remained silent on the other end.

"Hello?" I said.

"What exactly are you saying? You don't want to marry me?" She said softly.

"I didn't say that. Tamara, I'll be there as soon as I can. We need to talk in person."

"No, I will come there." She insisted.

"Tamara---"

"I will come there, Neal." She said firmly. I stopped arguing and just agreed. I would have to think quickly on my feet when she got here. Maybe I could let her down easy and she would just leave? Maybe my father had a spell that would make her forget? God, I just wished I didn't have to deal with this. I wished I never left Emma. I wished...I hoped that I could go back in time so none of this would be happening right now.

"See you soon." She said and hung up before I could even respond.

 _Well that went well_ I thought to myself.

 


	6. 4

** **

 

**Neal's POV**

I had to leave before sunrise to ensure that no one would notice my absence. I hated leaving without saying good-bye, but I wasn't going far. I needed enough time to see Tamara, talk to her, and get back to Storybrooke. That was the plan at least, but who knows how it would actually work out?

I spotted Tamara through a wave of people coming into the airport's lobby. She looked beautiful in that moment; casually dressed with minimal makeup. It brought me back to the time we had met, but I couldn't afford that trip down memory lane, for if I did, I wouldn't be able to go through with this.

"Tamara!" I called out through my cupped hands. She looked over in my direction and smiled when her eyes found mine.

"I've missed you so much!" She said as she planted a small kiss onto my lips.

"Yeah," I replied awkwardly, as I stuffed my hands in my pocket. She was oblivious to my nervousness and just continued smiling at me.

"How was your flight?" I asked as I picked up her small bag. _She wouldn't be needing it anyways_ I thought to myself.

"Fine," She answered as she followed me out. We caught a taxi to a small coffee shop not too far from the airport.

Once seated, there was an invisible cloud of tension surrounding around us. I cleared my throat at last and decided to get this over with. It was now or never.

"Tamara," I began.

"Yes Neal?" She twirled her engagement ring around her finger. Feeling even more guilty, I pulled my eyes away from the rock and looked into her eyes.

"Tamara, I really care about you, you know that right?" She nodded her head slowly.

"I've thinking about the last couple of days. A lot has happened and I really can't leave Maine right now." 

She was silent, so I continued.

"I know it's not fair to ask you to put your life on hold and wait for me, so I'm not asking you to. I'm actually asking you...not to," I could no longer look at her, so I took a bite out of my blueberry muffin.

"Are you dumping me?" She whispered, which made me almost choke. I placed it back down onto the plate.

"Don't say it like that," I begged her. Hearing those words felt like tiny knives being jabbed into my chest. 

"I love you too much to string you along is all. There are a lot of unresolved issues between my Father and I, but I think I'm finally ready to work it out. And I have a son. He needs me; they need me and I need them."

"A son?!" She shouted in disbelief. Heads turned in our direction; strangers wondering what all the fuss was about. I paid them no attention. In my haste to put an end to things, I had forgotten that I hadn't yet told her about Henry. _Get it together, Cassidy_ I chastised myself.

"Yes. I just found out, but I can't just leave him now Tamara," I tried to get her to understand.

"So you cheated on me?" Pain and anger laced her words and it was hard to ignore. What was I doing? Why was I hurting her like this?

"No, of course not; He's eleven." 

"This is a lot to take in Neal," 

"I know, and I don't want to suck you into this. I'm sorry, Tamara. I really am. You can keep the ring, but please move on and find someone without all this baggage," I gently patted the back of her hand. A small, sad smile took form on her face.

"I'll wait, Neal. I'll stay here with you, but give you your time and space. I love you," She replied earnestly and placed her other hand on top of mines.

I had not expected her to be _this_ understanding and patient. _She really loves me_ I thought to myself.

"Tamara---"

"It's my decision to make Neal. I'll get a room on the other side of Storybrooke. I can work from here still, so it'll be fine. Maybe I can eventually meet your family too?" She interrupted.

"I'm giving you an out, Tamara. Don't you want to go back to New York, start something new perhaps?" I inquired.

"I want you, Neal," She replied firmly.

"Tamara I can't exactly...deal with _stuff_ with you being around the corner. That town is smaller than our apartment," I tried my best to persuade her to leave.

"You don't know until you try. Don't worry; you won't even know I'm here," She promised me. And with that, she left. 

I felt like this had ended up being a total fail and I accomplished nothing. Furthermore, I seriously underestimated her. Tamara wasn't the begging type, or maybe I just didn't know her as well as I thought I did.

 


	7. 5

** **

**Neal's POV**

I tried to push Tamara out of my head as much as possible. If she was determined to wait after I clearly told her she shouldn't, then so be it. I couldn't do anything else about it.

Today my focus was solely on hanging out with Henry. Emma was coming too, so that was a bonus. I arrived a little earlier than them so I picked an empty table in the arcade and waited. They walked through the door not long after I had sat down. I nodded my head and they made their way over.

"Hey," I greeted them.

"Hey Neal," Henry replied absently. His attention was on the games around us.

"Go ahead Kid," I told him and gave him some change. He needed no further encouragement as he made a beeline for Ms. Pacman.

Emma laughed and I couldn't help but to as well.

"How are you Neal?" She asked as she sat down.

"Can't complain," I shrugged, "yourself?"

"Well the town hasn't been sucked into another curse so I guess things are pretty good," She joked. I laughed again.

"So this is his idea of bonding huh?" I jerked my thumb towards our son. He was completely focused on the game in front of him and oblivious to everything and everyone around him.

"Well what did you expect when you asked if he wanted to go to an arcade?" 

"I guess I have a lot to learn then." 

"You'll get there," She told me. I smiled at her and she slowly returned the gesture.

Silence and a wave of awkwardness passed over us. Emma directed her attention to Henry and I just continued to observe her. She was just as beautiful, if not more, as she was all those years ago. The only difference was that now she had more of an edge to her. She had become more harden and guarded. And was ~~mostly~~ my fault.

**Emma's POV**

He was staring at me. I could feel it. His burning gaze never left my face and it bothered me. But why? Why was I so nervous?

He asked me a question, but I didn't hear him.

"What?"  I commanded myself to look at him. _Calm down, Emma. This isn't a date or anything. Get a grip!_ I told myself.

"I said, how's Snow?" He repeated.

"She's fine," She had done a complete 360 over the last couple of days. I didn't know why or what happened, but I was glad. I hated dancing around her feelings 24/7.

"Gold?" I asked in return since we were on the topic of parents. He shrugged his shoulder.

"You still haven't talked to him?" His entire facial expression changed.

"No." He said flatly. I was about to ask why, when he spoke again.

"And I don't plan on doing it anytime soon," He informed me.

"Look I know he's got some issues, anyone can see that, but he did do all of this for you. You're not even going to try to hear him out?"  I really didn't know why I was suddenly playing the devil's advocate. 

Neal scoffed.

"He did this for me, is that what you think?" He tossed back.

"Uh, yeah. I should know since I had to end it," I disputed.

"He wouldn't have had to create the curse if he hadn't choose his magic over me," Neal said bitterly.

"What exactly happened anyway?" I inquired.

Neal didn't answer right away. I could see a mixture of sadness and anger consume his face and a pang of sadness formed in my chest for him. I know Gold loved him, but what did he do?

"Magic Happened. He let it completely change him although he said it wouldn't. He said he did whatever he did to protect me. But how was scaring any and every one away protecting me? How was killing people for no reason protecting me? It pushed me further away until I felt like running away. But then I had an idea; we could run away and leave his magic behind. The only thing was...he couldn't. I fell through that portal alone," He explained.

"God, that's...that's heavy," I said in disbelief.

"Yeah," was all he said.

"I'm sorry Neal," I told him gently and almost reached my hand out towards his. Thankfully I came to my senses and stopped myself.

"He is too apparently." A small smirk appeared on his face.

"Can I have more quarters?" Henry asked. I didn't even notice him at first.

"Yeah sure kid," I passed him a handful of change. He smiled before running back.

"Well at least he's having fun," Neal remarked.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"I am too," He commented.

"You are?" I asked, shocked by his words.

"Yeah, why not? Other than discussing my father this has been alright." He answered. I didn't tell him that I was enjoying his company too. It reminded me of when we used to hang out in the bug and just talk. Talk about our dreams, our future together, _Tallahassee_.

The pizza Neal ordered finally arrived and Henry finally left the games alone long enough to eat. It was a bit strange, yet it felt normal just being here together like a real family. We ate and talked a bit until I noticed the time.

"Kid, we have to go," I told Henry as I wiped my mouth.

"Aw, come on we're having fun," Neal whined, which made Henry join him.

"Don't make me the bad guy here. He has school tomorrow," 

"Fine. I'll walk you to your car," Neal offered.

"You don't have to," I told him, but it fell on deaf ears. He had already begun standing up with Henry following him.

I rolled my eyes as I tried to suppress the urge to smile.

Once we reached the car, Henry slid into the passenger seat as I headed to the opposite side.

Neal opened the door for me, but I didn't get in just yet.

"I had a pretty okay time too Neal," I let him know.

He rewarded me with a smile and I was happy to see him out of the mood his mental trip to the past caused.

"Good. We'll have to do this again. Right buddy?" He looked over at Henry for confirmation. Henry was too occupied with the radio to hear him though.

"Yes we will," I answered for him. "Good night Neal".

"Night Emma, Henry," Neal said. I shut the door and pulled off.

As we drove away, I gave Neal one final look in the rear view mirror.


	8. 6

** **

**Emma's POV**

After our "family outing", Neal seemed to be coming up with more and more excuses just to see Henry and me. I appreciated him stepping up, but I didn't like the moments where we were alone together. It felt too much like before, and I wasn't opening up that door again, ever. I just couldn't. There would be nothing between Neal and I. Or at least that's what I told myself. However, my heart and Mary Margaret felt differently.

In order to avoid Neal and her pressuring me, I threw myself into work at the Sheriff's station. And by work I meant eating grilled cheese while pretending to go over old cases. Hey, don't judge me.

As I was putting away a case file, I heard footsteps behind me. It was Neal.

"Neal what are you doing here?" I asked startled. He smiled and held up two cups.

"I figured you could use this." He answered and handed me a cup. I slowly reached for it and the smell of hot chocolate and cinnamon hit my nostrils instantly. _He remembered_. And while I hated to admit it, I was happy that he did. I thanked him while trying my best to appear nonchalant.

"So what are you working on?" Neal asked as he pulled a chair up beside me.

"You know I can't discuss anything with you; you're a civilian." I replied. He placed his hand on his chest as he pretended to be offended.

"Ouch," He joked. Laughter had escaped my lips before I could stop it. I shouldn't have laughed. He shouldn't have been there. What was going on?

"What's that?" Neal asked and pointed to a picture on my desk.

I looked in the direction of his finger and it was a picture of two new visitors in Storybrooke. I knew for sure that they weren't from the Enchanted Forest, and they hadn't originally been on my radar. That was until I bumped into the woman, Tamara, at Granny's who dropped a list with Storybrooke residents and their fairy tale identities on it. She looked guilty, but gave me some lame excuse. Ever since then, I had my doubts about her. The other person in the picture was Greg. He seemed harmless at first. We thought he was just a drunk driver who crashed into our town and would be on his way. The problem was that he seemed determined to stick around and I spotted him and Tamara around town together.

"Oh," I said and put the picture back into the folder beside it. "Nothing..." I said evasively.

I looked at Neal to see if he was buying it and to my surprise, he looked worried.

"Neal?" I called him. He blinked before looking at me.

"Hmm?" He said and took a sip from his cup.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Nah, I was just curious," He said with a forced laugh. "Who are they?" He asked.

I knew something was up, but I didn't push it.

"Just two new people. I've been trying to place them, but I can't. No one seems to know them." I answered.

He nodded his head.

"Do you, do you know them?" I asked. He had actually grown up there and there was a chance he had seen them around if I was mistaken.

I picked the picture up and showed it to him. He looked at it and quickly looked away, shaking his head.

"Never seen 'em," He mumbled. Now I was sure that he was lying, and it made me angry.

"What are you hiding Neal?" I asked as I put the picture away again. He looked surprised.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"You know them, don't you? It's written all over your face!" I yelled.

"Emma I--, okay I do know her." He admitted at last.

"How?" I demanded to know.

"It doesn't matter." He dismissed quickly. But it did matter to me. Were they all working together? I tried to put together the pieces in my head and hide my jealously at the same time.

"It does. They have been sneaking around Neal. They are up to something and now I think you're in on it." I shouted accusingly. Hurt, genuine hurt, spread across his face. Part of me felt guilty, but I tried to ignore it. I was the sheriff and I would do whatever it took to keep the town safe.

**Neal's POV**

I felt as though Emma had just slapped me after hinting that I was conspiring with Tamara and some other guy. It hurt more than seeing Tamara, my ex-fiancee', in a picture with another guy. I would worry about who he was and their relationship later though. My only concern was calming Emma down and convincing her that I had nothing to do with whatever she was thinking.

"Emma she's...she's my---

"Spit it out Neal!" Emma demanded.

"She's my ex-fiancee." I admitted. It was no point in beating around the bush. My lies, or withholding of the truth, finally caught up to me. I would rather come clean now in hopes that Emma would somehow be understanding than letting it blow up in my face later. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't undo everything we had been working towards. What that was exactly, I still wasn't sure.

Emma's face went pale and she was silent. She just stared at me as she tried to process what I had just told her.

"That doesn't make any sense..." Emma whispered as she looked away from me. I swear I could hear pain in her voice.

"I broke things off with her Emma. She shouldn't even be here, but she wouldn't leave. I guess he's why." I said and nodded towards the picture in the closed folder.

Silence fell over us awkwardly after that. My mind was occupied with wondering what Emma was thinking.

"Do you know him?" Emma asked tightly.

"No," I responded honestly. "I'm curious about that too."

Emma didn't comment on my answer. I reached over and grabbed the file. She looked alarmed, but didn't stop me.

I opened it and saw her hand written notes along with a few other pictures of Tamara and this guy. Was he the reason she stayed? A dozen or so questions popped in my head and I wanted to get down to this just as badly as Emma.

"I can talk to her." I offered.

"No," Emma said surprisingly fast. I was taken back.

"We can't let her know we are on to them. I will handle it and if I need help, then I'll ask David," She explained.

"She trusts me Emma. I can be the inside guy or whatever." I told her.

"I don't know what they are up to. Like I said, we can't let her know we are on to her." Emma insisted.

"She won't know. She trusts me and I want to help Emma. Let me." I pleaded with her.

"Fine," Emma agreed at last.

"But be careful," she warned. I reassured her that I would be. She told me to try to figure out her relationship with the guy; Greg was his name. I told her that I would get to the bottom of it and said goodbye.

As I was going home, I wondered who he was myself and what type of relationship he and Tamara had. Were they friends or something more? Was I just a key to getting her to Storybrooke? Nothing was making sense. I pushed the questions aside and was just grateful Emma didn't push me away. I couldn't take things falling apart between us again. 


	9. 7

  


**Emma's POV**

I left the station shortly after Neal did. My mind wasn't on the case anymore. It had made a painful trip down memory lane despite my protest. I felt like Neal had bailed on me all over again. Only this time instead of imagining him skipping town, I pictured him meeting Tamara. Had they known each other that long, or was my mind enjoying making me suffer?

I sighed loudly and started my little bug so I could head home. I hoped that everyone had gone to bed because I just wanted to be alone. I wanted to curl up in my room and just drift away.

Unfortunately I was greeted with Mary Margaret's cheery face as soon as I walked in.

"Emma!" She welcomed me. She was making hot chocolate and I could smell cinnamon in the air. I can't lie; it lifted my spirits a bit. I wondered how she knew that I'd be home soon though. Maybe it was a mom thing...

"Hi," I said. She handed me a cup with a smile and I took it.

"Thanks," I said softly and accepted it. I took a seat at the counter and she sat beside me.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she scanned my face, concern was now spreading all over hers.

"Nothing," I quickly lied. Her brows scrunched up and I just knew she wasn't going to let this go. "Really Mary Margaret, I'm fine." I lied again.

"Mom works too," She said softly. It was still hard for me to call them mom and dad. It made it less awkward to call them by their names.

"Emma you can talk to me about anything." She encouraged after I didn't reply.

"I'm just thinking about Tamara. You know, the new girl in town?" I started to explain as I lifted the mug to my lips. I guess I could tell her bits and pieces. Maybe she could offer me some insight?

She nodded.

"She's up to something. I don't know what, but I just know she is." I told her.

"Is this because of your super power?" She asked.

"Well yeah, but I have hard evidence too. I started following her." I replied. Mary Margaret looked surprised, but didn't interrupt me.

"She was meeting up with Greg. Now I thought maybe they were together, maybe she came to check on him or get him out of town finally? But they were meeting up like they didn't want to be found. Behind Granny's, in a car in empty parking lots, just odd locations," I continued to explain.

"That does seem strange," She noted. "What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I don't know. It's not a crime to meet someone. She did have a list with everyone's name on it though and their real identities. Where do you think she got it from?" I asked.

"No idea. It's not something we go around talking about. We all know each other so it'd be kind of pointless." Mary Margaret answered.

"That's what I thought too. Neal told me something..." I began. I hadn't planned on spilling everything, but it planned on coming out apparently.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of hot chocolate.

"They were engaged." I informed her. She was so shocked she didn't even speak at first.

"I was shocked too, still am. I think she followed him here, but not because well she..lov-wanted him back... but for Greg." I thought out loud. Mary Margaret nodded as she followed along.

"You think she's using him?" She asked.

"Well she was. But they were engaged so I could be wrong." I said as I realized my jealously was probably clouding my judgment.

"No, Emma. If you feel something in your gut, then you should trust it." She encouraged.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" I wondered.

"Of course not. If nothing else, keep an eye on her. I don't like that they are here either. Strangers in Storybrooke are never a good thing." She said sadly. She was right. No one was thrilled about the two newcomers.

I told Mary Margaret about Neal offering to help with the Greg and Tamara situation. She said that she and David would keep an eye out as well. She also didn't fail to remind me that I had nothing to worry about when it came to Neal. _Gee, thanks_ Mom I thought as I walked to my room.

_____________________________________________________________________________

**Neal's POV**

"Just be cool, act like you know nothing," I told myself as I prepared to knock on Tamara's hotel door.

 **Knock. Knock. Knock.** I shoved my hands in my pocket as I waited.

I could hear movement inside and whispers.

"Just a minute!" She called out. _Was he in there?_ I immediately thought.

A few more seconds passed before the door opened.

"Neal, what are you doing here?" Tamara asked nonchalantly.

"Um, hey. You know I was looking for my scarf, the red one, and I figured you might know where it was." I said. She looked confused and I didn't blame her. I am usually a better liar than that, not that I made a habit out of it or anything.

"Why would I have it?" She asked.

"Well you had it last. Remember you left yours and I told you to take mines instead?" I answered.

"Oh yeah, come in and I'll see if I brought it with me." She said and stepped aside to let me in. I entered the room and took a seat on the chair near the door. It was a pretty cozy looking place she had; it looked as though she was staying for a while. She disappeared into her bedroom so I took the opportunity to look around.

 _Where was he? He had to be here..._ I wondered. After a minute or so had passed, Tamara rejoined me in the small living room area.

"Here, I completely forgot I had it." She said with an awkward smile.

"Thanks," I said and took it from her outstretched hand.

"So, you look settled in. Are you thinking about staying for a while?" I asked casually.

She sat down across from me on the small sofa.

"Actually, yeah, it's been nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle of New York. Storybrooke is such a small town that I can go by unnoticed and it's quiet too. I can hear myself think now." She finished with a laugh. Her mentioning going by unnoticed stuck with me, but I didn't say anything.

"Yeah it is pretty quiet." I agreed. "You don't feel lonely though? I mean you don't know anyone here." I said. I was starting to fall into the act finally.

"I know you." She said.

"But we don't t--"

"I know. I was correcting you. I don't need to know anyone to enjoy being here, Neal." She told me.

"I guess so. How long are you thinking about sticking around?" I asked. She shrugged.

"Until my vacation time is up I suppose. What about you?" She asked.

"Me? I hadn't thought about it." I answered honestly.

"Are you ever going back?" She inquired.

"Honestly, probably not. My family is here..." I replied.

"Speaking of, I ran into him, your father. I was walking around and wandered into his shop." She informed me.

"Oh yeah, so what did you think?" I asked.

"He's pretty intense, but it didn't bother me. You know I can hold my own." She said. I nodded. It was something I liked about her; she didn't let anyone walk all over her.

"I remember." I said. All of a sudden there was a thump. Tamara looked startled and so did I. I was right though, she wasn't alone.

"Uh...I'll be right back." She said nervously.

I followed behind her slowly so she wouldn't notice.

She opened her bedroom door and I could make out a shadow. It must have been Greg.

"What are you doing?" I heard her ask.

"You said you wouldn't be long." A male voice said. "I...I got tired of hiding in the closet."

"He's still here." She said. I took out my phone and began recording them.

"Get him out of here." The guy said.

"I will." She said. I took that as my cue to head back. I sat down just as she re-entered the living room.

"Something fell." She said.

"Oh, alright," I said with a nod. "Hey I gotta go. I'm supposed to meet Henry when he gets off the bus, but thanks for my scarf." I lied.

"Sure," She said and let me out. I was happy that I had something to bring back to Emma as I left the building. I was also happy to have a reason to see her.

 


	10. 8

** **

**Emma's POV**

I was closing up at the station when I got a text from Neal. He informed me that he had some information on Tamara and Greg and needed to talk to me ASAP. Without fully processing the idea, I replied that I would meet him at his place.

What I said didn't dawn on me until I was starting up the bug.

_Oh God_ I thought. I was going to _his_ place. I quickly shook off my nerves and laughed it off to myself. I had been around Neal plenty of times since he'd been back, so what was the big deal now?

"Because you'll be alone at his place," a little voice whispered in my head. Again, I shook it off or I tried to at least. The thought refused to leave my mind though. I turned on the radio in hopes of drowning it out and made my way over to Neal's. It was a small little house he was renting just near the town line. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and I wondered if Rumple had anything to do with its sudden arrival.

I sat in the car a little while after I arrived to gather my nerves. I shouldn't even be nervous. It was just Neal. _Yes, it was just Neal,_ I kept repeating to myself as I now made my way to the door.

I rung the door bell and waited, my heart beat increasing with each passing second. I was so frustrated with myself. Why was I acting this way? There was nothing between Neal and me except Henry.

"Hi Neal," I squeaked out when he opened the door. I cleared my throat and said hello again.

_Get it together, Emma!_ I told myself.

"Hey Emma, come on in." He said and stepped aside. I walked into the dimly lit living room whose only light source were a flat screen TV mantled on the wall and a small lamp. Neal turned on the ceiling light and the sudden shift took my eyes a moment to adjust.

"So what is it?" I asked, trying to appear calm and nonchalant.

"Well I went to see Tamara today," He began. Why did that bother me?

_It doesn't_ I thought, however the following thought said otherwise. I nodded my head.

"I think Greg was over there. She took a while to open the door and when she was did, she was kinda nervous. She's never been nervous around me before. Anyways there was this thump and she went to check it out and I followed her. I overheard their conversation and recorded it." He explained.

"Let me hear it." I told him as I waited for him to play the recording. He did and although it was low, I could make out Greg and Tamara's voices.

"I know it's nothing solid, but it's something right?" Neal asked with his voice full of hope. A half smile crept on my face.

"Yeah it is." I replied.

"What do you think they are up to?" He asked as he took a seat on the sofa's arm. I sat down on the actual sofa, being careful to keep some distance between us.

"I don't know. It has to be connected to the list though." I answered. He agreed.

"How do you think she got it? It can't just be a lucky guess." He said.

"I'm still trying to piece it together. I doubt anyone offered up the info, certainly not that much. It could have been Archie though..." I answered and started thinking out loud.

"Archie?" Neal repeated with an arched eyebrow.

"Jiminy Cricket aka the town's shrink." I replied.

"Oh," he mouthed. "Maybe I can ask her about it?" Neal suggested.

"And that wouldn't be suspicious at all," I commented sarcastically.

"Well there has to be some way to get it out of her," Neal said.

"I know. I'll think of one. You know you still should be careful around her. She could be dangerous." I warned. Neal laughed, which caused me to make a face.

"Are you worried about me?" He asked jokingly.

"You and everyone else in this town, it's my job, remember?" I replied with my best poker face.

"Uh huh," He mused.

"Nice place you got here." I commented, desperate for a topic shift.

"Thanks, my dad found it." He said. I could tell the word "dad" felt awkward coming out of it mouth. I understood the feeling all too well.

"He did, did he? Where was he when I was looking for a place?" I mumbled under my breath.

"Beats me," He said. I looked surprise and this got another laugh out of him.

"I heard that." He said.

"I see." I replied with a laugh. I looked slightly past Neal and spotted a familiar object, the dream catcher.

"You still have that?" I asked as I went over to it.

I traced the feathers hanging below it and it took me back to the first time I held it. All those years ago in the crappy hotel Neal and I were stashed away in. When we decided to move to Tallahassee, to finally settle down. For some reason I smiled and the memory made me feel happy. Usually any thoughts about my past with Neal caused me to be angry, sad, or a mixture of both.

"Of course I did," Neal said. His voice was low, but it sounded awfully close. I turned around and nearly bumped into him. Since when did he leave the couch? He reached passed me and flicked the dream catcher with his finger, causing it to spin just a bit.

"Remember when we got it?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"I do." I replied. I kept my eyes on the catcher and my face turned away from Neal. I was too afraid my facial expressions would betray the guard I was trying desperately to keep up.

"You know Emma; I meant every word I said. Every promise, everything. I meant it." Neal said. I swallowed hard, but didn't speak. I couldn't even if I wanted to.

Suddenly I felt Neal's hand under my chin and he turned my face towards his.

"Emma," He said slowly.

"Yes?" I answered; my voice was low as well. He closed his eyes and I followed. I breathed in his scent as his face got closer to mine and I felt his warm breath.

When our lips met, I felt all those feelings I was trying so hard to conceal. The hurt, the betrayal. The hidden love that I was determined to keep under lock and key was slipping out.

I was lost in all of those emotions, but I came to my senses when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Reality came crashing down as realization set in.

I had just kissed Neal!

"Hello?" I answered. I didn't even bother to look at the ID; I just had to get away from Neal at that moment.

"Emma, come quick something is wrong." Mary Margaret's terrified voice said on the other end.

"What is it?" I asked with alarm.

"Regina is missing." She said. I wasn't sure how she knew that, but I didn't have time to think. I hung up and reached for my keys.

"Where are you going?" Neal asked as he followed me.

"It's an emergency." I told him, reaching for the door.

"Is it Henry?" He asked.

"No, he's fine." I said. "It's Regina. I don't have time to explain." I told him and tried to leave again.

He threw on his coat and followed me out.

"Neal..." I waved him off.

"I'm coming with you." He said firmly. I didn't try to argue any further. We hopped in my bug and I sped off in the direction of my apartment.

 

 


	11. 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end is here for now.

** **

**Neal's POV**

I slid into the passenger seat of Emma's bug. It was weird because I hadn't been in it since I handed it over to August to give to her. And the last time we were in it together, well Henry may or may not have been created. I plead the fifth on that.

Either way, I got a weird vibe as I sat there. Those feeling shortly flew out the window however when I looked over at Emma. Her eyes were completely focused on the road and the mission at hand. I wondered if the kiss had even affected her at all.

Did it mean anything to her? Did she feel anything, anything at all?

I guess saving someone's life, even if said person has been trying to kill you/your family, trumps our questionable relationship status. I decided to ignore my own thoughts and feelings regarding us in that moment.

"Emma, everything is going to be okay." I told her with as much reassurance  as I could muster. She gave me a tight nod as we both exited the car and walked towards the apartment.

I watched her take a deep breath as she opened the door.

**Emma's POV**

To say I was scared would be an understatement. But I was the Savior _and_ the sheriff; I didn't get to be scared, right? And I sure as hell couldn't show it. I took one final deep breath before I opened the door and waited for all hell to break loose in my world again.

"Oh, Emma, you're here!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"What happened?" I asked her. A worried David put an arm around her and then I noticed her tears.

"What's wrong?" I asked with my voice full of concern. She took a seat on one of the bar stools and I listened while they explained what they had discovered.

Henry had came by because he hadn't seen Regina for most of the day. She wasn't in her office, she wouldn't answer her phone and no one had seen her or her car for hours. He grew worried and asked them to help. However, they turned up with no clue as to where she could have gone.

They ended up going to Gold and he provided them with some help. Mary Margaret could track Regina, but in doing so she would need to use magical tear drops. What sounded easy enough turned out to be not so pleasant. In that moment she temporary "became" Regina. It worked, but it was more than she bargained for. Apparently my fears had been confirmed and Tamara and Greg were up to no good and whatever their plan was involved kidnapping Regina.

They tortured her and poor Mary Margaret had to bear the pain as well. She lasted long enough to recognize the location, but the magic wore off when Regina lost consciousness.

"Regina isn't perfect Emma, but she is family." Mary Margaret said once David finished with the recap. I nodded my head.

"Where's Henry?" Neal asked. I had forgotten for a brief second that he was here too.

"With Gold. We figured he was the safest with him." David answered.

I didn't like the idea of Henry being in Gold's care, but at the very least he could protect him if something happened. That gave me some comfort.

"So we need to get to Regina right away. I will go to the Cannery. You two stay here and Neal, maybe go check on Henry?" I suggested.

Mary Margaret and David vetoed my plan. They told me that we were all going to rescue Regina. Neal once again insisted on coming too. Being clearly out voted, I agreed.

My parents would wait outside the cannery and Neal and I would go inside to search for the kidnappers and Regina. That was our plan.

They hopped in David's truck and Neal and I drove in the bug. We rode in silence for the most part and didn't speak until we were about to enter the building.

"We'll be right here, Emma." Mary Margaret said comfortingly. David and she were staying near the entrance of the building just in case Greg and Tamara left before Neal or I found them. We had walkie talkies for communication though. I gave her a small smile before going inside.

"Be quiet and stay close," I whispered to Neal.

"Don't worry, I got it." He whispered back. I nodded and we slowly began making our way inside.

My heart beat increased with each step I took. Neal followed close by and while I'd never admit it out loud; I was grateful he insisted on coming along.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this." I told Neal softly.

"Find out about what?" He asked.

"Tamara. It can't be easy for you..." I said making small talk. We had been checking out the area for a few minutes now and everything seemed to be silent. Maybe we had been too late.

"Oh. It's okay. I mean, I'm okay with it I guess." He mumbled.

"You were engaged to her. You lo- lov- loved her..." I said. The words practically stung coming out of my mouth.

"You're right about half of that." He replied. I wasn't sure what that meant but a loud sound interrupted our chatter.

"It came from the back." He whispered. I nodded and readied my gun in front of me as we made our way towards it.

"Emma? Emma it's us. Greg is making a run for it and David is going after him. I'm going to look for Regina. Tamara is still around somewhere I think." Mary Margaret informed me over the walkie talkie.

"Got it," I told her quickly before anyone could overhear.

"I got your back." Neal told me as he followed close behind me as I rounded a corner. No one was there. I was growing more and more frustrated. Where was she? Why was it so hard to find her?

"I still wonder what she's up to..." I thought out loud.

Neal didn't say anything.

"I just wish she'd show up already." I stated and turned around to look at Neal. He nodded, but his eyes grew large all of a sudden.

"Behind you!" He shouted, but the warning was too late. As I was turning around, Tamara's fist collided with my face, _**hard**_.

Anger filled flowed through my entire body and I quickly threw myself at her. I reached for her throat with both hands and she put her arms up to block me. We danced around for a bit until I finally kicked her in the side of her leg. She stumbled slightly, but didn't fall. I'm sure Neal felt pretty uncomfortable watching us, but I couldn't be concerned about that now. Tamara was charging at me and I channeled all the anger and pain I felt and let out a violent scream. I charged back and successfully tackled her to the ground.

"What the hell are you up to? Where is Regina?!" I yelled at her. She refused to answer and only tried to push me off of her. I could hear Neal speaking into the walkie talkie, possibly alerting my parents.

"I don't have to explain anything to you!" Tamara screamed as we continued to wrestle.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong." I told her. I punched her back for her sucker punch on me earlier; that was for hitting me. I slapped her; that was for hurting Neal. And as I put my hands around her throat, it was for kidnapping Regina. Sure we weren't exactly friends, but she was family. She had raised Henry when Neal and I couldn't. I owed her for that.

"You.... You bi—itch!" she choked out. She began to scratch at my arms, but I wasn't easing up.

"You're going to wish you never stepped foot in my town." I yelled at her as my grip tightened.

"Emma, stop!" Neal shouted. "That's enough. You can't kill her; that's not who you are." He pleaded with me. I let out a huff of air and loosened my hands.

I started to get off of her and reach for my handcuffs in my pocket.

"Get up." I commanded. Her eyes shifted between Neal and me, but she slowly began to rise.

"Give me your hands," I told her as I looked down to gather my cuffs. That brief pause was all she needed and before I could stop her, she reached for her gun. I reached for mines too, but somehow dropped in while we were fighting.

"Shit," I swore.

"Tamara, put the gun down." Neal tried to reason with her.

"This is why you left; this is why you called off our engagement?" She asked accusingly.

"You're not innocent in this either. I know you and him are together." Neal shouted back at her. I watched them go back and forth. Yelling, all the while Tamara had her gun pointed at us. I just needed a distraction so I could disarm her.

"That's--, it was never supposed to go this far." Tamara stumbled out. _Maybe I could attack now_ I thought.

"What, us, you and him?" Neal asked.

"Everything," She replied.

"Why are you really doing this?" He asked as he took a step towards her.

"Stay back!" She warned.

"I'm just doing my job." She answered.

"Which is?" I asked her.

"None of your business. If you just let me leave, I won't hurt you." She offered. I laughed bitterly.

"If anyone is getting hurt here, it's you." I told her. She shook her head and aimed the gun towards me.

"You couldn't leave well enough alone could you? You just had to keep putting your nose where it didn't belong..." She said to me. I didn't reply.

"Tamara," Neal called out to her. Before I could reach for the gun, she fired it. The bullet was coming straight for me, but I was too stunned to move.

"Emma!" I heard, but everything was becoming a blur. I couldn't make out who called me. Suddenly I hit the ground with great force. I hadn't been hit though. I...I had been pushed. I quickly looked up and saw Tamara falling to her knees. My parents were some distance away still.

What happened? Who pushed me?

 _Neal_ I suddenly thought.

"Neal?" I called out. I turned to my left and saw him on the ground, clutching his side. I crawled over to him.

"No!" I screamed. I had already lost him once; I couldn't lose him again. I reached for his head and cradled it in my hands.

"Neal, speak to me." I whispered to him. He reached for my hand and wrapped his around mines. He was still warm. That was a good sign, right? I could hear my parents footsteps, but they were still far away.

Out of no where, I felt something hit the ground and the ground started to separate around me.

"Neal?" I yelled as I held onto him. I crawled back and tried to pull him with me, but I couldn't. 

"Neal come on!" I begged him. He was slipping, but I refused to let go of his hand; I refused to let go of him.

"Emma!" My parents called out. They were frozen in place and didn't know what to do. I looked over at Tamara, who now had a smile on her face as she was closing her eyes.

"Now you can never have him..." she spoke in between shallow breaths. What did she mean?

"Neal, I can pull you up." I told him and tried to. He shook his head.

"You have to let go, Emma." He said.

"No!" I yelled.

"Henry needs you. It's too late for me." He said softly.

"I can't lose you again, Neal...I can't." I choked out.

"Be strong. He needs you, Emma." He repeated. He was right, but Henry needed his father as well.

"What about you? He needs you. I need you, Neal. I love you." I confessed.

A tearful smiled flashed across his face. He was falling deeper and deeper and soon I would be joining him.

"I love you both, too." He whispered. He let go of my hands and the portal closed after him.

"Neal!" I screamed as the ground no longer glowed with a bright, green light, but had returned to concrete.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret and David called out to me as they made their way over.

"We thought we were going to lose you." She said as she pulled me into her arms tightly.

I noticed Regina wasn't with them, but I couldn't speak. I was numb. My heart had broken all over again. I felt myself being pulled to me feet and an arm wrapped around me.

"Greg is locked up in the truck. We took everything he had on him and hand cuffed him. Neal told me that you were in trouble and so David and I found one another and came to find you. Emma, honey we are so sorry." Mary Margaret spoke softly. I nodded my head, but said nothing. I was still too numb. David placed a comforting hand on my head before leaving to get Regina. He came back with a semi-conscious Regina in his arms and we all walked out.

It wasn't enough room in the truck, and he didn't want to put her in the bed of it, so he placed her in the passenger side of my bug. Mary Margaret got into the driver's seat and I slid into the backseat.

"Be careful," David told us as he headed back to his truck. I nodded my head again. My mom cast a worried look at me via the rear view mirror before starting the engine.

"It's going to be okay, Emma" She said. This time I didn't nod. I fell onto the backseat and closed my eyes as we took off. 

Nothing was going to be okay. How could it? Neal was dying, or dead. Henry was once again fatherless. I had no idea what state Regina was in and I was a mess. I never thought my heart could be broken again, especially not by Neal. I hated him so much when I saw him. I even wished he was dead all the years we spent apart. But now? I'd do anything to have him here again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hey there! Thank you for sticking with me as I finished the story. Thank you for all the people who read, gave kudos, and subscribed to the story. I really appreciate it. I'm a #Swanfire fan at heart, but I knew I would follow the tragedy of S2 when I ended it. All hope is not lost though! I plan on doing a another follow up short story soon. This one will not chronicle Never land like S3 of the show, but it will be about Emma's journey to find Neal. Neal will also try to find his way back home to his family I hope you guys will be interested and followed that one as well. 
> 
> ***It's in the works at the moment and I will probably add it on the site tomorrow or over the weekend!


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